


Zadash never sleeps

by Fallen_Nightshade



Category: Critical Role
Genre: Anxiety, Apartment Setting, Bookstores and cafes, Caduceus Clay is a mortuary assistant, Caleb is unsure and sees only a person, Empire life sucks, F/F, F/M, M/M, Multi, Other, PTSD symptoms, Vax’ildan is mortuary owner, Welcome Back, chaotic mess, lazy writing, life - Freeform, molly uses he/him, non-binary, ratings will change
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-02-18
Updated: 2019-02-18
Packaged: 2019-10-30 20:17:54
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 3,541
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17835467
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Fallen_Nightshade/pseuds/Fallen_Nightshade
Summary: It’s not safe to be anything but human, elvish, dwavish, gnome or halfling these days in the Dwendalien empire especially in Zadash. in Zadash those who fit outside of above mentioned descriptions have to have a permit. Getting that permit means following strict guidelines, set by the King himself, for five years at least, some races have a longer adjustment time.•Must have a job lined up with in two months•Must have housing•Curfew is 10:30pm to 5am those who work third shift must have permission from their case worker•Must follow approved gods.• Can not leave Zadash before the end of the first year•must have identification at all time.•  No Goblins or Drow with in city limitsLife is never easy in Zadash but it’s the best place to live after the war has destroyed most of the Dwendalian Empire . Some found Their way around the rules, others have no choice but to follow them.





	1. Chapter 1

Caduceus Clay let out a long sullen sigh looking over the guard report of a young tabaxi women; who was halfway done with her immigration process to live in Zadash. Unfortunately, she was killed in a store robbery gone bad, the human man was caught but will get out of prison in three to five years. So much for a fair Justice system.  
Caduceus moves slowly to where the young women, Leah, lay on the metal table and begins to prep her body for the last part of her journey home.  
“Caddy?” A Melancholy voice calls out from the back room, “you can go home once you are done there.”  
“Alright, Mr. Vax’ildan, I will just finish with miss Leah, will you be heading out soon?” Caduceus finishes cleaning and brushing down Leah’s Smokey fur.  
“I think so. It is my sister’s eldest’s first soccer game of the season. She will kill me if I don’t go.” Vax’ildan says shrugging on his black sweater and coming to the main room.  
Vax’ildan or as he keeps insisting to be called Vax is a half-elven man in his forties or so, high cheekbones and black hair with some white starting to pepper through. His Twin sister Vex’ahlia, or Vex, is a stubborn woman who doesn’t let her brother skip any family functions no matter how small.  
Caduceus has been invited to join any time he wanted especially in the first few years of living in Zadash.  
“Alright, have a good time, Mr. Vax, wish the children luck, and let Mrs. Keyleth know I appreciated her house gift. I will put it to good use.”  
Vax chuckles and nods before looking down at the still body of Leah, “be safe out there okay? If you need anything let me know.”  
Caduceus smiles gracelessly before turning back to his work.  
By the time he is done with cremating Leah, it is after five and decides it’s time to go home, maybe pick up some fruits and vegetables for dinner. He thinks about how nice a watermelon salad would be on a warm day like this as he washes his hands and looks up into the mirror.  
Casting disguise self, he leaves his ashy firbolg self behind in turn for a human who’s still quite tall, coming in at almost seven foot, pale white skin and a bit of shocking pink hair that now has fallen to chest length on one side of his head.  
Grabbing his forest green bag he heads out into the bustling city of Zadash.  
——-  
Mollymauk lay across the couch flipping through Channels on the television, his tail flicking anxiously as he waits for Caduceus to get home. He needs help filling out more immigrant paperwork, and unfortunately, he can only understand half of it.  
Two years ago Vax and Caduceus both got the scare of their lives when, as they start to clean the body of a lavender tiefling who was pronounced dead in a culvert, decided to open his ruby red eyes and cough up some dirt and leaves.  
It has been a long two years since then with Vax helping get Molly registered for the Citizen program and Cad letting him live in his apartment, along with Yasha an Xhorhasian Aasimar women who also is working through her citizen program.  
Molly and Yasha became best friends Almost instantly and share the master bedroom while Cad took the smaller room.  
As Molly contemplated on what to watch, there was an energy surge and all the power in the apartment went off for a few minutes then slowly clicked back on. Molly could hear doors open across the hall and muffled talking, he picked up on Caduceus’ voice and decided to join him outside.  
Closing the door Molly joined a tall pale human with a bright pink Mohawk and a human monk from the cobalt soul, Molly recognizes her as Beau; Yasha’s almost girlfriend.  
“Oh yeah... this is not good...” Cad was saying looking around the hall as others peaked their heads out of the apartments. “Molly are you alright?”  
“Of course, dear, but do you know what happened?” Molly finished making his way to the other man.  
“The government is trying to kick us out, that’s what’s going on.” Beau hissed angrily.  
“Now now Beauregard. I am not so sure that is the case... we would have gotten notices in the mail.” Cad raises his hands in a calming manner.  
Molly spots a halfling women shuffle out of one of the end apartments, “they are kicking us out?” Her voice was high pitched in worry. Her brown hair fuzzy from lack of care is and her green eyes darted around like a nervous cat.  
Beau looked over at the newcomer and started to say something before Caduceus stepped in.  
“No, no, dear. I am sure we are all just fine. You must be new to this apartment complex. My name is Caduceus Clay, you can call me Clay if that is easier.”  
“Can I call you Deucey?”  
“I would prefer you didn’t, Deuce or Cad is also fine.”  
“I’m Veth, my son Caleb and I live in block 13, we moved in two nights ago.”  
“Ah, that’s very nice Miss Veth. I do hope to meet your son Mister Caleb soon. Ah, these are your other neighbors Beauregard and my roommate Mollymauk.”  
Beau rubs her nose a bit, “sup call me Beau, or badass if we are doing cool nicknames.”  
Molly snorts at that getting a glare from Beau.  
“Veth my dear, lovely to meet you, do call me Molly all my friends do and I do hope to be friends.” Molly extends his hand with a flourish.  
Veth looks him over and takes it slowly, her big eyes squinting a bit in judgment. “Nice to meet you all. I hope my boy will be able to meet you soon enough.” With that, the brunette scurried away back into her apartment.  
Beau coughs awkwardly and shoved her hands into her baggy pockets, “that was wired... I’m gonna go back inside. And hope you are right Deuce.. “ she turned around and went back inside and closed.  
Caduceus smiles softly and turns to Molly. “I was thinking all day about watermelon salad.”  
The lavender tiefling sighs and follows the taller man inside and decides to wait until after dinner to ask about the forms.


	2. Meet the neighbors

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb comes home to find Nott the Brave ready to run.   
> Caduceus brings a stew to his new neighbors,Molly just loves to people watch.

Nott the Brave paced nervously back and forth in the small studio apartment, peaking out of the black out curtains every fifteen minutes or so. Her boy should have been home by now, he was out looking for a job, but now the sky became dark as the sun dipped beyond the city walls. 

An hour ago the lights flickered off for a few minutes, causing Nott’s anxiety to sky rocket, she had packed a bag of clothes and some of Caleb’s books. Now that bag lay on the dirty couch, Caleb’s cat lay on top of it staring up at the nervous goblin girl. 

The door creaks open startling the girl enough to hind under the table with a small Yelp.

“Schatzi?” Calls a heavy Zemniann accent mixed with the sounds of the door closing ,a heavy bag being set down and a rustling old coat. 

“Oh Caleb!!!” Nott scampers from under the table and jumps into his arms, his jacket and a metal water bottle clatter to the floor in effort to Catch the goblin.

“Was is wrong, Nott?” 

“The lights turned off and the lady down the hall says it’s because they are going to kick us out!” She explains to him. 

Caleb frowns and shifts Nott to one shoulder as he picks up his jacket and hangs it over the pegs on the wall, he leaves the water bottle making a note to pick it up later. He walks over to the couch and sits with Nott on his Knee and runs his free hand through his hair then pats her head. 

“Did she give a reason why she said this?” 

“No! Just... but there’s a tiefling living in this building so maybe...”

“A tiefling?” He musses, “well you and I are just a human and a halfling living here, Ja?” 

Nott blinks up at the red head with her big yellow eyes. “I suppose so...”

“And we promised to keep each other safe, Ja?” There was a softness to his eyes.

“Well of course, Caleb, I’ll do anything for you. I’d KILL for you.”

There was a laughter at shakes his chest, “Ja, Ja, I know Schatzi, but I need you to live for me instead.” 

“Okay Caleb, I found a really shiny key today,” she said changing the subject and crawling off his knee.

“Oh? Where did you find it?” He watched her run off to the bed and pull a small chest out from under it. With a quick click the chest pops open and she comes back with a small silver skeleton key, a small ruby imbedded in the handle shaped to be a dragon. 

“In one of the vents. So it must go to something here, right?” She said exactly handing it over to him. 

“Ja, maybe,” there was no magic coming from it, Caleb assumed it was from the last tenant who lived here. Handing it back over to her, “did you eat?” 

“No not yet, theres a few eggs left I thought we might be able to at them to the instant noodles tonight...” 

Caleb frowned and thought about it, they had about 100 gold left after rent but until he found a job that would be a stretch for groceries.   
As he was pondering when the next time they can get food there was a knock on the door.   
Caleb and Nott looked at each other and Nott quickly cast disguise self and transforms into a halfling women with fuzzy brown hair and bright green eyes. 

Caleb waits until she’s done and opens the door just a bit, “Ja, Hallo?” 

Before him stands two people, a human male pale with a pink Mohawk in a silky green jacket and baggy pants of the same material, and a lavender tiefling in a mint tunic that falls down to their knees, a darker wine red leggings. Their hair was a dark purple that tangled around their curling horns, tattoos cover the side of their neck up to the face. 

“Ah... yes good.. hello, my name is Caduceus Clay, this is my roommate Mollymauk Tealeaf , we are neighbors. We talked to Miss. Veth earlier today and she said...ahh.. the two of you just moved in and we.. we just love cooking for our new friends.” The pink haired man talked slowly but not in a slow minded kind of way, but a deliberate caring kind of way. 

Caleb looked down at Caduceus’ hands, they seemed so large but then the man in front of him was easily seven foot, but in his hands he held a large stew pot. 

So many things go through Caleb’s mind that before he knows it, Nott is pushing him aside and telling the two outsiders in to their small apartment. 

“Oh Mr. Clay you shouldn’t have!” 

Caduceus has to duck to fit in the door way, carrying the dish carefully with Molly tugging in behind and closing the door softly behind them. 

“Ah.. what a lovely apartment you have here Miss Veth.” He sighs as he places the food down on the round table. 

Caleb stiffens as he looks around the small studio, with one full sized bed, a small couch, a round table, found on the side of the road and Mismatch plates and bowls and cups that Nott serves the stew into. He’s ashamed of this place, that he doesn’t have the money to give Nott nice things like she deserves and now.. a hand out from people he didn’t even know. 

“Oh, I really like these cups, where did you find them?” Caduceus asks bringing Caleb back from his thoughts, lucky Nott is more talkative then he is. 

“Caleb found them at some re uses store, this one is my favorite!” She cry’s holding out her Worlds Best Mom mug, that Caleb had gotten for her birthday.

“Oh that’s just nice... that’s very nice..” the other man responds in a long drawl of words. 

Caleb shifts back into focus barely listing to the words when he feels eyes Upon him, turning to see two bright red eyes watching him, digging straight into his soul.   
The owner of these eyes shifts their cup to on hand and grins wiggling their fingers at him. 

“Mr. Caleb you do have a very cozy home here, thank you very much for allowing me entrance.” This was not Caduceus’ slow and soft spoken voice but a slightly higher pitched one that had a strange flare to it. 

“Ah.. Ja.. Danke dir...” the red head responds. allow entrance? Was this person a Vampire? Is that why... no Caleb of course, so stupid, the people in Zadash must be so rude to this Tiefling. 

There are those eyes again, watching, lips slight turned up, “I have no idea what you just said, dear, but I do appreciate your hospitality. I have met so many nice friends the last few days.” 

Caleb blinks, “oh vergib mir, eh, forgive me, I said Yeah, you’re welcome. I get Zemnian and common mixed in my brain and tongue.” 

Molly’s grin only grows wider, “is that your first language then, zeamn-zemnian?” The word is strange on his forked tongue but he manages to push through. 

“Ja... what about you, Mr. Mollymauk, is common your first language?” 

“Please, dear, call me Molly; all my friends do. As as far as I can remember Common and Infernal are the only two I have in my Arsenal of understanding things like that.” Their tail flicked a bit as they finished their stew. 

Caleb looks away at the table where Nott and Caduceus have just stood from the tall man stretching, “I do very much enjoy talking to you Miss. Veth. And I always have extra food if you ever want to come and have dinner. The company is very nice..” 

“My boy and I appreciate that very much, “ she says standing in the table to shake Caduceus’ hand. “We might take you up on that offer one of these days.” 

Molly moves past Caleb to put their mug in the sink and stands by to thank Nott for the night spent in good company. 

The two eventually leave and Caleb looks to Nott who’s already staring at him with her big yellow eyes, green starts to cover her face as the spell dissipates. 

“I like the big one. But the purple one seems weird. “ 

“Ja... let’s put this food away.. he left the pot?” 

“He says we can drop it off later.”

Caleb nods and helps clean the kitchen up before collapsing into the bed, the old sheets smell musty.

The pressure of Nott crawling into bed is soon joined by a four legged pressure on his back, that then curls up by his head. Frumpkin starts purring instantly, lulling Caleb to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Schatzi: Dear


	3. Look at the way that the world is slowly falling down.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Caleb has a panic attack. Nott is the Best friend he doesn’t deserve.   
> Why wouldn’t Caleb work in a book store and cafe.   
> Beau’s there to, hating life and getting up before 10am. 
> 
> If you have any triggers dealing with panic attacks, throwing up or night terrors skip the first four paragraphs.

At four thirty, before the sun even peaks above the walls surrounding the city; Caleb startles awake drenched in sweat, his chest heaving quickly as he scrambles off the bed and into the bathroom, closing the door as quietly as he can so not to was up Nott. 

With the vile building up in his throat stings and he finally makes it to the toilet. After a few minutes nothing else comes up but the dry heaving gives way to awful sounds. 

“The dream again?” Comes a raspy voice by his ear, a hand rubbing his back another green clawed hand handing him a paper towel.

The young man wipes his mouth and nods slowly before falling back with his back against the wall.   
Nott winces at the large thump sound as his head hits the wall. 

“Oh Caleb, it’s okay I’m here for you now.” She hugs his head to her, rubbing his neck and runs her hand through his hair.   
——

It took awhile for Caleb to calm down enough to shower and drink a cup of coffee Nott hands him as soon as he comes out from the bathroom. 

Caleb wasn’t sure how he would survive without Nott, she does everything she can to make his life less difficult. Right now that means she has made coffee, toast with jelly, and packed a lunch. 

“I uhh… got a job… I don’t think I told you.” 

“Caleb that’s great! Where is it!?” The small goblin grins up at him putting two boiled eggs in a small plastic container with some dried mean.

“Ja, its.. a bookstore in the Pentamarket, I have to be there at seven.”

Nott dances a bit, the small shimmy she does normally when they are able to get some good alcohol or decent meat.  
“I’m so proud of you!” 

Caleb’s lips twitches up a bit into a small smile as he eats a few bites of the toast to settle his stomach.

Nott checks the shinny pocket watch she keeps, one with ich liebe dich carved into the back and a picture of Yeza and Luke on the inside.   
“It’s..”

“Six fifteen, I know, I’m getting ready now.” He finishes her sentence before grabbing his coat. “What will you do today?”

“I think I’ll go send a letter to Yeza, maybe see what the city has for me.” 

“Gut gut,” he nods grabbing the fallen water bottle from the night before, “be careful out there, Ja?” 

“Have a good day, Caleb!” The goblin sent him away with a flick of her wrists, he grinned a bit before heading out into Zadash.

—

“So you’re the new guy, huh?” 

Caleb had arrived at the bookstore fifteen minutes before seven and was bundled into the nook of the store when a dark skinned women in baggy pants and a tank top came shuffling over to him, pulling out a ring of keys. Her head was shaven in an undercut and what hair was left was pulled into a bun. Her blue eyes, almond in shape, had looked him over lazily before letting him inside. 

“ ‘M Beau. If you are as good as old man Oglen said then you can wake up crack ass of dawn to run ‘is place.” She enters the store turning in lights and a small latte maker by the cash register.  
“ ‘is Betty the blistering. Watch your hands blowing out the wand, or she’ll claim ‘nother victim.” 

Caleb watches Beau work without the day and remembers every bit of information she gives him, she even lets him work Betty, he manages not to burn himself and even gets a leaf design in the milk. 

By four it was time to start closing up shop. 

“You memorized where all the books good already?” Beau scoffed, scraping the steam wand clean. 

“Ja.. it was easy.” Caleb shrugs as he puts the last misplaced book back in its rightful home. 

“So tomorrow you’ll be able to do everything I did today?” 

“More or less, I think.” 

Beau smirks as she thinks about sleeping in, “yeah it’s pretty easy here, pay and tips are okay, old man keeps the place well adjusted too.” 

“How long have you worked here, Beauregard?” Caleb has to pull himself from the books so they can finish closing shop, he Distracts himself with sweeping. 

“Ah, just like, six months? I needed a second job when the rent went up but now I can work less here more there.” After Counting the money and placing it in the safe she stretches her back. 

“Are you a bartender, then?” Caleb places the broom away.

“Nah bouncers, now let’s bounce the fuck outta here.” Beau jumps the counter and hands him sixteen gold and a few copper, “tips for the day.” 

Following her out, he carefully placed the money in his chest pocket, a trick he learned from Nott. 

“I uhhh, thank you, I live this way.” Caleb nods towards the street he takes to get home.

“Yeah I know, I looked at your address, I live in block 24. I met your…. wife?” 

Caleb almost trips, well almost falls there was no hiding that he trips over nothing, flaring his arms to steady himself. “Nein, no, Veth is my good friend only.. though she seems to see me more of her son..” 

“Ah, Mommy issues, got it.” Beau laughs and walks with her hands shoved into her pockets. 

“That’s.. that’s not it.” Caleb studders. 

“It’s cool man. Whatever you’re into. How did you like meeting Molly and Cad?” 

“Was? Who...oh mr. Mollymauk and mr. Clay. They are very nice..”

“They are fuckin’ wired… but you’ll get used to them.” 

Caleb or Beau don’t say anything else until they are at his door.   
“So uhh.. I’ll see ya tomorrow.” 

“Thank you, Beauregard, Gute Nacht.” Caleb unlocks his door and sighs loudly after it closes behind him.   
—-  
Beau ends her days almost the same every day almost the same way, by flopping on the couch, opening a warm beer and scrolling through the channels on the tv.


End file.
